Backpacking in Australia

A Budget Travelers' Guide to Australia

Australia has become something of a backpacking establishment. But although it has become long in the tooth in terms of hosting budget travelers, its range of backpacking attractions are as fresh and exciting as ever.

Budgeting

One of the reasons it has managed to maintain its place at the top of the budget traveler itinerary is the ability for foreign nationals from selected countries to apply for a working holiday visa.

Lasting for up to 12 months, workers can try and find a job in a major city such as Melbourne or Sydney within easy reach of cheap hostels in Australia and explore their many sites. Conversely, travelers can opt for the plentiful fruit picking work in more remote regions so they can better explore the 'outback'.

Free Stuff

Australia is rightly renowned for its natural beauty, with relatively cheap forays to stunning attractions, such as the Barossa Valley and Cradle Mountain inshore or the Great Barrier Reef offshore, as well as Queensland's Sunshine Coast, all established must-sees.

Events such as the Sydney Festival in January and the Adelaide Festival of Arts in March offer plenty on a budget, including open air concerts and street theatre. However be warned: competition for budget accommodation is high around festival time, so be sure to book in advance.

Travel

But with Australia hostels often scarce in these remote destinations, transport around the country is a key budget traveler issue. There are cheap flights between major capitals offered by providers such as Virgin Blue Australia and Air New Zealand.

However, rail is a popular backpacking option, with trains servicing major cities such as Brisbane, Canberra and Sydney as well as making more remote locations such as Broken Hill more accessible.

Conversely, for travelers keen on staying in the country for an extended period of months, perhaps traveling between hostels in Australia's many great destinations, hiring or buying a car is also a popular option.

There are dedicated websites and companies that deal specifically in the exchange, sale and purchase of vehicles for gap year travelers and long-term visitors, as well as plenty of cheap car hire options in major cities.

Before settling down and becoming a copywriter for HostelBookers. Ben Cooper did a backpacking tour of Australia, he checked out a variety of hostels in Australia.

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Student Travel

Student travel - are you a student wishing for a fun holiday, but you worry about how much money it is going to cost?? It's about time you found out that nowadays student travel is big business for many tour operators, some of them offering even work experiences that can take you to explore the world! When it comes to great student travel deals, your holiday is just a click away - the internet opens up for you a whole world of choices!Like every other holiday, student travel experiences need planning too. It will be easier to find the best deals, if you know these few tips- Where, What and How are the first questions you should answer! With a bit of research, you will learn how to save money and get discounts on all your travel expenses - accommodation, dining and entertainment. With the whole world on your travel map, first you need to decide the destination! If in the US, Austin or New York are the really popular choices for the student traveler; the three major destinations in Europe for student travel are London, Paris and Rome; and for less packed countries eastern Europe is the most appealing destination. The really good news is that Mexico is the rising star!

A Student Identity Card is the first step for getting student travel discounts. One of the websites providing these ID's is ISIC, and also provides details about student travel discounts available worldwide. The websites you should consider while hunting for student travel deals are: STA Travel, Student Universe, Travelosophy, Orbitz Student Airfare and Priceline. Student travel agencies will help you plan your adventure with package deals, tour booking and travel insurances. It is recommended to plan your holiday at the appropriate time. The earlier you book, the bigger are the chances to obtain budget air travel offers. However, for accommodation it is exactly the opposite. When hunting for student accommodation deals, consider hostels, campgrounds, and room rentals. The Internet offers you a great amount of information, and always make sure you have checked the student accommodation reviews posted by real student travelers.

Traveling in groups might also bring new opportunities for discounts, as many deals are offered when you travel in larger numbers! And of course, its much more fun to be with your own student travel group, or even join a tour.

Always keep in mind the safety recommendations displayed on the governmental sites of the countries to which you will be traveling, and Have Fun!

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Travel Safety Advice For Backpackers

With ever increasing numbers of backpackers traveling to more and more exotic locations, often with a care-free attitude there is always the potential for it to turn into a dangerous situation. In fact a third of backpackers will run into some kind of major incident whilst abroad. The BBC reported:

"The most common problems experienced were falling ill (13%), missing flights (9%), being robbed/ a victim of a personal crime (both 6%). "

"Younger travelers were twice as likely to get ill (27%) get hurt (14%) or become caught up in a civil disturbance (13% against a 5% average)."

This is where a bit of fore-thought and preparation can really aid you. Naturally younger tourists are more likely to get into difficulties. With that in mind here are a few safety tips for would be backpackers:

Stay in touch: always make sure at least somebody knows where you are going and when you expect to return. Leave as many details as you can to make a search for you even easier. Of course don't forget to tell them upon your safe return. Obviously try to avoid walking around at night especially unfamiliar areas.

Don't keep all your money in one location. Split it up between your bags, that goes for your debit/credit cards too. Clearly if someone takes your handbag and you still have extra cash and a spare card in your main backpack you are going to be able to continue your trip much more easily. Make use of safety deposit boxes and lockers wherever possible, taking your own padlock with you is not a bad idea either. If you do lose all your money consider making use of a money transfer service such as that can transfer money overseas within minutes quickly and easily for you.

Be informed before you depart for a country. Knowing the basics about the customs and expectations of society is a must to ensure you don't offend anyone. Check out the plethora of online websites to find specific details about a country before you leave.

If you are subject to a violent mugging never resist this, money is replaceable you are not. Hitchhike in pairs, one man and one women is usually considered the most safe combination. Don't flash around expensive equipment, this is only likely to enhance the chances of you being mugged or subject to theft.

Take out insurance! Whilst backpacking around the world is no longer considered a big deal, it is still unlikely to go smoothly all of the time. Make sure you carry the contact number of your insurance company at all times and contact them immediately after a incident. Make sure you choose a relevant policy. It is no use buying insurance that covers trekking to a height of 4,000 meters when you are planning to trek to Everest base camp at 5,000 plus meters. They will not pay for the helicopter evacuation, you will have too!

Be aware that you can also be framed for crimes as well; smuggling for example, this can land you in jail or even on death row, in some countries for substances such as dope.

However, the majority of people will have a great experience and if they do have problems they will be wiser and better able to handle them in the future but it still pays to be prepared. So, with the above advice in mind go ahead and plan your trip with safety in mind and you'll be sure to have a great time.

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